RWBY: Crimson Shadow - The Undead Huntress
by Chinsangan
Summary: A harmless idea from Ruby turns into a desperate search to find your friend. What happened, how do you stop it, and can you save your friend? The only thing you know is... it's your fault.
1. Chapter 1: An Innocent Plan

**Chapter 1: An Innocent Plan**

You exit the training room, sweat pooling from various sources on your face. Glynda had a… rigorous training regimen planned for you today. Though it's your fault, in all honesty. You asked her for some training to prepare you for the Vytal Festival. Sure, you're one of the top first year students in Beacon, but its always possible that you may face one of the more experienced teams at Beacon, such as team CFVY. Besides that, you really don't know what the other schools have up their sleeve. There's no way you're going to lose, so you have to train as hard as you can.

You wipe some sweat off your forehead and look back at the door. Dylan exits, holding onto the door frame for support.

"You…" He says with a huff, attempting to stare you down though his sweat riddled hair distorts his vision. "I'm never… doing this with you again…"

"Come on… Dylan. This'll get us… in… in tip top shape," you barely chuckle.

Dylan shakes his head, pushing himself off the door frame so he gets closer to you.

"If I had any… strength left… I'd knock that grin off your face."

You smile even harder, amused at Dylan's words.

"Yeah… maybe next time."

"Hello!" A voice sings.

You and Dylan turn your attention to the source, which is team RWBY. Yang is holding her hand up, waving, so obviously she was the one who greeted you.

"Seems you… whoa!" Yang covers her nose, wafting the air in front of her.

The rest of the team does the same.

"Ew, it smells like dirty men," Ruby comments, her body shivering in disgust.

"That's not fair… Ruby… I put up with you when yo-"

Rose pedals fill the air and Ruby appears right beside you, still holding her nose.

"We don't speak of that," she whispers, her voice nasally.

She quickly returns to their team, and they all take a step back.

"You two need a shower," Weiss states the obvious.

You huff.

"Yeah, I guess… that's called for. Dylan, wanna grab my shoulder?"

Dylan nods.

"Yeah…"

"Hey! Um, (Y/N)," Ruby calls out.

You look up at her, a brow raised.

"Can you meet me in my room after?"

"Mhm, yeah," you nod. "Just give me a couple minutes. Hey Dylan, will you scrub my back?" You smirk, looking back at him.

"Get close to me without clothes and I'll end you," Dylan sneers, making you chuckle.

"Yeah, that's about what I thought. Alright, see you girls soon," you wink before _**leaping**_ away.

Team RWBY lets their noses go and quickly shuffles away from the area to avoid smelling anything else.

"So Ruby, have things been going well between you and (Y/N)? You've been dating for a few weeks now," Blake asks.

Ruby blushes, poking her index fingers together.

"Well I mean I guess we are dating and he's great but you don't have to call it dating I mean we haven't done anything datey like," she nervously says.

"Well, you have. You kissed during the dance." Weiss points out. "We wouldn't have known if you hadn't bragged about it for the next few days."

Ruby pouts at the facts.

"I… was excited."

"We noticed," Blake snickers.

"As long as he's treating you right. The moment he does something wrong is the moment we break his legs," Yang says, punching her fists together.

"Why break his legs?" Weiss inquires.

"Me and Nora agreed it was the best punishment," Yang nods with pride.

"Don't break his legs!" Ruby squeals, shaking her arms madly. "Don't break my boyfriend's legs!"

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"Why on earth did you think we would shower together?" Dylan scolds, stepping out of men's change rooms, completely dry.

"Well the showers were all in use, so, you know," you chuckle, stepping out behind him and placing your hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I knew for a fact it'd annoy you. We would have been out of there earlier if you just dried me off like you did for yourself."

"It was punishment," Dylan responds.

"It wasted time," you pout. "But at least we aren't destroying everyone's sense of smell."

You and Dylan walk away from the building and start wandering aimlessly.

"So you think they'll let us participate in the tournament?" You bring up, throwing your hands in your pockets.

"I'm not sure. You do have special treatment, being the son of the Headmaster."

"Adopted… son," you correct. "And shut up," you point at him. "I've never used that for my advantage… up till now. I might see what I can do. I'm definitely not missing out on the tournament. I'm ready to kick some butt."

"You're always ready for a fight," Dylan points out.

"Hey, you are too! You can't tell me you aren't training on your own!"

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"Whatever, aren't you suppose to meet Ruby or something?"

You pause, stopping dead and allowing Dylan to walk ahead of you. He stops, turning around to see what you're doing. You're just staring at the ground, your mind realizing your previous promise. Suddenly you dissipate into shadow, leaving Dylan behind. He slaps his face with his palm.

"What an idiot."

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You _**leap**_ right into the middle of RWBY's dorm. Weiss is at her desk, Blake's reading, and Yang is in the bathroom. The moment you reach their room, you quickly _**step**_ out of it and in front of their door, in the hallway. You exhale, worried that they might have seen you. You're still bad for just appearing in people's rooms, but it's just so natural for you at this point. But, like now, you just get out of their and act like nothing happened.

You knock on the door and patiently wait for someone to answer. Soon enough the door opens to reveal Yang.

"Oh, hey (Y/N). Come in," she politely greets, almost giving you the chills.

"Yeah, hey. So, um," you walk in, rubbing your hands as you look for your girlfriend. "Where's Little Red? Is she here?"

"She said she'd be at the library," Blake responds, keeping her eyes on her book.

"Oh, I guess I missed her. I did take a little longer than I wanted to, though," you say, leaning against the wall beside the door.

Weiss turns her attention to you.

"Why? It's just showering."

"Yeah, but Dylan refused to shower with me, so," you answer, looking away as you lick your teeth.

"You… what?" Blake speaks up, looking away from her book.

You eye their odd looks when you mentioned showering with Dylan.

"It's a joke!" You shout. "Come on! The only person I would actually shower with is- nobody. Nobody at all," you quickly correct.

You whistle, attempting to keep the air light and trying your best not to make eye contact with Yang.

"Aaaaanyhow, I'm going to go find Little Red. See ya!" You wave, _**leaping**_ out of the room.

"Was… he talking about Ru-"

"NO!" Blake and Weiss shout, covering for you.

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You appear in front of the library, rolling your shoulders. You really have to learn to hold your tongue around Yang. Bugging her is fun, but anything revolving Ruby will likely get you killed. Speaking of Ruby, you have to find her. It'll be great to spend a little alone time. You've been hanging out with Ruby a lot, but most of the time someone else is there. You have absolute intension to bring her on some sort of date, but school has gotten in the way immensely. Though Ruby never seems to care. She just enjoys spending time with you no matter what you're doing with her. It makes it easier on you since you don't have to plan too much, but you still want to treat Ruby the best you can.

You enter the building and look around the red hooded huntress-in-training. Unfortunately the building is large and Ruby isn't directly in sight. You sigh at the small inconvenience, but you won't let that keep you down. You slide your hands into your pockets and wander the library looking for your girlfriend. You spot Pyrrha and Jaune studying, but you don't bother them. As much fun as it would be to chat with your friends, that's not your goal at the moment. Maybe you and Ruby can loop around and chat with them after.

Soon enough, on the second floor, you find Ruby holding a book, standing in the aisle. You walk up to her, though she doesn't notice you as she's so into the book she's reading. You _**step**_ behind her and tap her shoulder. Ruby turns to see who tapped her, but nobody's there.

"Huh…" She mumbles.

She looks back to her book, but now you're standing in front of her, smiling.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Ruby smiles, starting to glow from the joy of being around you.

You shrug, looking as innocent as you can.

"Meh, maybe. Could have been anything. So, what do you got, there?" You ask, looking at her book.

"Oh! Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you about!" She excitedly says. "I've been reading this book, and it has a bunch of people dress up in silly costumes and do some weird stuff. I thought it'd be fun if we did it!"

You reach for the book.

"May I?"

She nods, handing you the literature. Your eyes breeze over the page, just taking in the jist of what its supposed to be.

"So… like, what sort of costumes? And what weird stuff?" You inquire, flipping through the pages.

"Well, nothing major. Like, animals and characters from books, video games, or shows! Come on, wouldn't dressing up be fun!" She squeals, obviously excited about her idea.

"That does sound intriguing. I could finally fulfill my dream of being a- OOOOH!" An idea lights up in your head. "We have to get everyone else to do it! Maybe make a night out of it or something."

Ruby enthusiastically nods.

"Yeah! They have to dress up too, though."

"Of course. Especially Dylan. Especially… Dylan," you smile deviously, a terrible, beautiful plan sparking in your mind. "Alright Little Red, I'm on board," you nod, tossing her the book. "I'm sure whatever games that's included will be fun. We should go tell everyone."

Ruby pounces you, forcing you into a hug.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're going with this! I was worried it might hurt that 'masculine pride' you always talk about, but Weiss says that's non-existent, so," she tilts her head cutely.

"Yeah, I'm just… wait… for me or everyone?"

"Just for you," she answers truthfully.

"I'm… really masculine," you whisper, pouting.

Ruby smiles, gets on her tippy toes and pecks you on the cheek.

"I know."

The sudden act Ruby performs surprises you, forcing you to blush. Ruby giggles at your change.

"Revenge for all the times you make me flustered," she proudly says, putting her hands at her hips and puffing out her chest.

"You just caught be off guard, don't get used to it," you roll your eyes. "Besides, I'm far more confident than you are."

"What? No way! I-"

You quickly swoop in, planting your lips on hers in a gentle kiss. Her eyes widen, her white cheeks go red instantly, and her heart beats faster than her semblance. Before she can come to terms with what's happening, you break away from her leaving her a flustered mess.

"See, you're worse than I am," you chuckle.

"That was a cheap shot!"

"You enjoyed it."

"That's… not the point," Ruby reluctantly says, soon smiling at you.

You smile back her, then rustle her hair.

"Come on, let's go force this idea on everyone else."

Ruby nods at the idea, beaming.

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"A… what?" Dylan asks in pure confusion.

"Like a dress up party?" Yang asks with a smirk, getting into the idea.

You and Ruby have gathered Dylan, the rest of her team, and team JNPR in your room, since you have the most space of all three dorms. You are standing on your bed while Ruby stands on Dylan's, in a very presentative fashion, though Dylan is slightly annoyed of the dirt Ruby's getting on his bed sheets. This presentative fashion is further enforced since you asked your friends to sit on the floor as you talk about it. Nora, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Blake followed that order. Dylan and Weiss remain standing because they refused to sit, and Yang is standing in excitement.

"Yeah! We dress up as a bunch of stuff and make a night out of it!" Ruby cheers.

"We do have a few days until the weekend, so we can get materials for costumes or costumes themselves," you explain. "It could be fun. Get some snacks, soft drinks, and Ruby has a few ideas for games."

"Hm… that does sound like a good time," Pyrrha agrees.

"Can I be a pancake?" Nora asks, beginning to bubble.

"I… I mean, if you want to," you shrug.

"YEAH! Ren! We're making costumes!"

Nora grabs Ren's arm and plows out of your room like a bulldozer. Everyone looks out your door for a moment.

"Right… well, it seems like everyone is on board. If you're not… well you have to deal with her," you point to Ruby as she scans her friends' faces. "So take some time to get some costumes ready. I expect some creative stuff, people!"

Ruby hops off Dylan's bed and marches to the door.

"Alright team RWBY! Let's get costumes!" She chants.

"But we have homework," Weiss interjects.

"I have reading to do," Blake adds.

"I SAID COSTUMES!" She shouts, pointing out the door.

Weiss and Blake moan as they're lead out the door by Ruby. Jaune, Pyrrha, and you chuckle at Ruby's leading skills and enthusiasm for this cause. The two from JNPR get off the floor.

"We'll be ready for the weekend. I can't wait to see what you two come up with," Jaune says. "I think I'll be a charming prince from fairy tales," Jaune flaunts.

"Well, you're not far off now," you joke. "Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow!"

Jaune and Pyrrha wave as they leave your dorm, closing it behind you. You turn to Dylan, a smile on your face and a frown on his. A true ying and yang.

"Don't worry Dylan, I have a costume idea for you already."

"Why? What is it?"

You respond with no words – only a devious smile.

 **Alright, I want to get something clear: this story is absolutely non-cannon to Crimson Shadow. The timing of this story doesn't coincide with any of the events or chapters in Crimson Shadow. The only chapter correlation is that this is after chapter twenty, so Ruby and Slater are together. Other than that, it's a self-contained story. Also don't take it too seriously. This is just a fun Halloween Special, so don't be too uptight about details and such. I already have all important details thought out.**

 **Anyway, I'll be releasing these for the next few days leading up to Halloween. Yes, I already have the entire story done. Why aren't I releasing it all at once? Cause I don't want to. And yes, these chapters will be shorter than my usual chapters for Crimson Shadow. Again, this is just a fun little story. I don't intend to put a TON of time into it.**

 **You know, the original idea for the Halloween Special was far different. Golden can attest to that. Had some goo that controlled people, Salem, and… well… it was a little inappropriate. I may actually write that one day, as it's also just a joke story. But who knows. This is a better idea for a Halloween Special. To those who want to know the basic idea of what that other one was… well, I'll say it was inspired by what little I know of Slithering Darkness. That should give you more than enough of an idea of what I may have been planning.**

 **Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this short story. Who knows, this may surprise you. Honestly there's going to be something here that I wish I could put in Crimson Shadow.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	2. Chapter 2: It's Just For One Night

**Chapter 2: It's Just for One Night, What Could Go Wrong?**

"Slater… what the hell is this?" Dylan huffs.

You smile, staring at your work – that work being Dylan. You took the time out of your week to create this amazing, masterful, high quality costume. It's purple material covering Dylan from head to waist, a hood covering the majority of his head with a few strands of his brown locks falling forward. "Calamari?" is written on his chest in yellow. His pants are also purple, but his shoes are just his regulars. In all honestly, it's poorly made. Anyone can see where you sewed pieces together, and where you had to patch certain areas with material that wasn't the exact same purple. Still, you're proud of your work considering you actually put effort into it.

Dylan looks down at himself, swaying his body so his "tentacles" can sway. He looks at you, slightly blushing from embarrassment but also livid at the ridiculous stunt you've just pulled.

"Come on Dylan, I worked so hard on it!" You moan, slouching. "I thought it'd be perfect for you!"

"Why? Why would… no… did you do this because of my water semblance!?" He questions, getting heated.

"…maybe," you shyly whisper.

Dylan face palms, huffing into his own skin.

"I don't know why I actually put faith in you. You just…" He huffs again.

"Come on, you have no time to change anyway! Wait here while I get into my costume," you shout, running into the bathroom.

Dylan approaches the mirror and stares at his new outfit. It looks ridiculous with the tentacles flowing as he moves. As terrible as this looks, you somehow made the tentacles work quite well. He runs his hands through them, making them flow.

"This is ridiculous. How did he even make it without me noticing?"

"Ah… sheesh… that's tight where it counts," you mumble in the bathroom loud enough for Dylan to hear.

He raises his brow in intrigue. He has no idea what you're going to dress up as for this little charade you and Ruby are putting on. In fact, he's curious about what the ladies from RWBY are going to dress up as, along with the members of team JNPR. Dylan really just ignored this whole ordeal until today, hoping he could get out of it. But you had no plans on letting him escape, as he now knows. He doubts you would have donned this costume yourself. It wouldn't have the same comedic value for you.

Finally the door opens and you step out. Dylan is absolutely blown away by what he sees. The quality between his and yours are on completely different levels. From what Dylan can tell, you're supposed to be some sort of cyborg ninja. You have metal plates around your body, though it mostly covers pecks, abs, all your arms, thighs and calves. The armour pieces are black while the under layer is a blood red.

"Where did you get that?" Dylan shouts.

"Oh, this?" You smile, looking at the suit. "Weiss got it for me. Well, I paid Weiss and she got it for me. Well… I asked Ozpin for lien then Weiss paid half for me. But isn't it awesome!" You cheer.

You walk over to the corner of the room where Crimson Blaze resides and grab the hilt. You twirl it through your fingers before attaching it to your back. You let go but the blade remains stationed on your back.

"Nice, it worked," you cheer. "Alright, you ready? Everyone should be here soon."

"I can't believe I'm going to let myself be seen in this thing."

"You look great, don't worry about it," you wave. "Alright… I'm going to visit Ruby to see how she's doing. If anyone gets here before I get back… well, I believe in you."

You give him a two finger wave before _**leaping**_ away.

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You arrive in front of RWBY's dorm. Coincidently, Ruby is leaving the dorm right as you appear. She closes the door behind her before noticing you, close beside the door. You knew what she was going to dress as, but she never let you see it until now. She's a witch, and a childish one at that. She has a large red hat on her head, replacing her hood. The sleeves are short, and there's a small amount of skin showing under her neck, but not much. The clothes flow down into a skirt, accompanies by leggings and… regular shoes. You chuckle at the sight. Even with Ruby's training she prefers normal shoes. Though the design on the costume is amazing, Of course it's only red and black, but it still looks great on her.

"I guess I'm bewitched," you comment, gaining Ruby's attention.

"Oh, (Y/N)!" She whispers in surprise, placing a hand on her chest. "You scared me… actually, perfect timing!"

You raise your brow.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, I'm missing something extra for my costume. I have the book of games but it isn't spooky looking or anything. I just want something to give myself a finish touch!" She cheers.

You smile.

"Well, you look great, Little Red. Perhaps you put a spell on me or something."

Ruby pouts.

"Are you going to make jokes all night?"

You nod with a goofy smile.

"Yeah, probably."

She can't help but smile back. She approaches you and wraps her arms around you, resting her head against your armoured chest.

"Good."

You slowly let your hand wrap around Ruby, reciprocating the hug. The material of her clothing is different, not as soft as her regular clothing, but it's thinner and lets her heat out, though your costume is preventing you from feeling it.

"Sheesh, you're really dressed up. How much did that cost," Ruby asks, knocking at your shoulder plate.

"Ask Weiss."

Ruby giggles, but doesn't respond. She just keeps hugging you.

"You know, Little Red, we should probably go somewhere more private if we're going to keep hugging. Besides, I have to find something for you, remember?"

"You don't have to do it on your own," Ruby counters, releasing you. "I can help!"

You shake your head before pecking her cheek.

"No, I got this. You get everything set up in my room, Dylan's there al-" You cut yourself off when you chuckling, thinking of Dylan's costume. "Ah… well, Dylan's there. He'll let you in."

You give her a two finger wave before _**leaping**_ away.

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You arrive in a place that you're risking your life to be at. You're hoping she's not here, but there's no other place you can think of for some spooky books. You take a look around Ms. Goodwitch's room, hoping she's not here. Luckily she's not, and you continue to live. You know she has to have something around here that'll work for Ruby. You even have an idea of where to look. Sure, the first room is just a regular place, but she has too other doors. One leads to a bathroom, and the other leads to her personal room. There has to be something in there.

You approach the door and attempt to open it. The handle jiggles, but it refuses to open for you.

"Ah, makes sense. It's locked. If only I had some way," you _**step**_ past the door. "To get through."

You look around the room and… wow. It's filled with vials of Dust, books, wands, everything she could ever need. There's even an old outfit from… somewhere. This is definitely Ms. Goodwitch's personal room. All her research undoubtedly is conducted here, and all her items seem to be here as well. Thus all you need to do is borrow one of her books and bring it back tomorrow. No problem.

You approach a bookcase to the left of the room and scan over all the books. None of them have labels on the spine, so you have to pull them out and read them to get an idea of what they are. However, when you go to reach for a book you hear a door open. Your head turns instantly and your mind fills with fear. Lucky for you, it was the entrance that was opened, which means Ms. Goodwitch is here. Not wanting to be killed by the teacher, you hastily grab a book from her shelf and _**leap**_ out of the building.

You stand a bit outside of the large building. You didn't have a lot of time to find a place to _**leap**_ so you aren't far from the building. You let out sigh, releasing all fear and anxiety from almost being caught by Goodwitch. You look down at the book you snagged from Goodwitch. It has a hard cover with a very odd, almost organic texture. It kind of creeps you out, but that also means it's perfect for Ruby as a prop. Of course you'll put it right back where it was once the night is over.

With everything you need, you focus on a location farther away from the building and _**leap**_ there. You appear outside your dormitory rather than your room. You hold the book under your arm as you slip your scroll out of a custom pocket that Weiss asked for, which you need to thank her for, and send Ruby a text; you want to give this to her before heading back to your dorm. Not a minute after, Ruby responds, telling you to come to her dorm. With a location set, you _**leap**_ to her room.

Ruby's sitting on her bed, patiently waiting for you to arrive. She knows you'll just enter without knocking, as its what you do. As she guessed, you arrive in the room through a burst of shadow. You look towards Ruby's bed and see her, smiling at you. You hold out the book for her to take. She hops off her bed and grabs the book.

"Whoa! This book looks… oh, it feels weird," she giggles, taking the book into her own hands.

"Hehe, yeah. Made sure to get the most authentic looking one," you lie, not wanting to tell Ruby you stole a book from Ms. Goodwitch for her.

"You're the best ever!" She cheers. "By the way, I really like your outfit. I didn't say it before, but its super awesome."

"Yeah, I can't wait to show it off. So, are you ready?"

Ruby nods.

"Yep. Everyone's already there. We're all that's left."

You lean over and peck Ruby's cheek, making her blush.

"You waited for me, huh?" You whisper in your ear. "I guess you're getting used to our whole dating thing."

"Well… yeah… I didn't want you to show up alone," she meekly answers, become flustered from how close and intimate you are with her.

You lean back and give her a considerate and warm smile that gives Ruby butterflies. She doesn't know how you still manage to make her stomach churn, her mind flare, and her heart race like you do just by smiling at her with that goofy yet confident smile of yours.

"That's really considerate, Little Red. Alright, lets go. Might as well walk, you know, spend even a little more time together," you bring up, talking towards her door.

Ruby excitedly nods at the idea, running to your side with her book in hand. With her free hand she intertwines her hand with your gloved one. You happily go along with it as you walk to your dorm.

In no time at all you arrive at your dorm with Ruby beside you and your "borrowed" book in her hands. You open the door and enter the room, gaining the attention of everyone in the room, which is all your friends. Ruby instantly looks at Dylan in his bright, handmade costume. She instantly starts laughing at it with all of her will. You smile at her laugh, both because it's cute and because it's the exact reaction you had, and the reaction you wanted.

Dylan pouts at Ruby's laugh. To her credit, it's not the first one he's heard since being forced into this costume. Everyone who's seen him has laughed, even Weiss! Even Ren! This was your plan all along. You know it, Dylan knows it, yet he still went along with it. Seems that anything that happens, which simply encompasses laughs, is all his fault for leaving the costume on. Still, Blake said she liked it so he'll leave it on.

"Hey everyone," you wave as you take in all their colourful and creative costumes.

Nora, as promised, is pancakes. A stack of them, in fact, with a hat that resembles butter. Weiss is in… she's… a giant ice-cream cone?

"Weiss, what even is that?" You question.

Weiss rolls her eyes, obviously irritated at the question. So instead, Yang answers.

"She's Weiss-cream!" She proudly announces.

Weiss attempts to facepalm, but the costume is too bulky for her to actually do it, so she just huffs. Yang, on the other hand, is dressed in a typical princess outfit that seems rather unfitting for her.

"Yang, what's with yours?"

"I'm a princess with punch," she smiles, colliding her fists together.

You chuckle at her enthusiasm. Everyone else, for the most part, is dressed nicely too. Blake has taken some liberties with her race and is dressed up as a cat with the tail, whiskers, and even fur-like clothing. Jaune is dressed in plastic, bulky armour as if he was a knight from fairy tales. Pyrrha just has a sheet over her head with two holes cut out, so you assume she's trying to be a ghost. Last but not least is Ren, who's dressed as…

"Ren, what are you dressed as? I have no idea what that's supposed to be," you truthfully say.

Ren clears his throat, preparing to explain.

"I'm actually dressed as Ne Zha, one of the-"

"GAME TIME!" Nora cheers, cutting off Ren's explanation.

Ren sighs, but he's not surprised in the least. He explained it to his team earlier today and they all fell asleep except for Pyrrha who was clearly feigning interest. You approach Ren and pat his shoulder, comforting the poor man.

"Actually, (Y/N)," Ren begins as Ruby and Nora start explaining the games to everyone. "What's your costume?"

"My costume? Cyborg Ninja," you wink. "Compliments of our resident Heiress," you lazily point at the Weiss-cream cone across the room.

"It's very well made. Do you think it could actually be used as armour?"

You shrug.

"Who knows? If I got it damaged Weiss would kill me, so I don't think I'm going to try."

Ren nods.

"Smart. But how did you get your blade to attach to your back?"

You look over your shoulder to Crimson Blaze.

"Oh, that was easy. I just wrapped by belt around me and made sure the magnet was at my back. Still have my glove under the armour though, just in case."

"REN!"

"(Y/N)!"

You and Ren look at the two girls, Nora and Ruby, who are intensely glaring at you.

"You missed our entire explanation!" Nora shames.

"How are you supposed to play?" Ruby shouts.

"Those two are REALLY into this," you whisper to Ren.

"Does that surprise you?" He quietly answers.

You snicker, shaking your head then planting your eyes on Ruby.

"No… not at all," you answer with a smile. "I'm sure we'll pick it up as we play," you say to the girls. "Come on, lets see what you all got!"

"You're going down, ninja man!" Yang cheers, taking a seat in the newly formed circle of friends.

"Please, a princess can't measure up to a ninja like me!" You taunt back, taking a seat between Ruby and Weiss.

"Yeah right, I'm getting all the candy!"

You pause.

"There's candy?" You quickly spew.

"If you paid attention to the instructions you would know, dummy," Ruby scolds, lightly pushing you with her elbow.

You swoop your arm around Ruby and shuffle closer to her. She, in turn, leans on your shoulder. She's surprised that you're being so bold in front of Yang. Then again, Yang is way too focused on winning to see you and her cuddling. The only person really paying attention is Weiss, who is… less than thrilled at the sight.

"Alright, what's the first game?" Dylan asks, wanting to get into it.

"Who's the fastest swimmer?" You joke, smiling at your teammate.

Dylan gives you a dirty look which just makes you laugh.

"Alright, so the book talks about games where we have names on our heads," Ruby starts to explain as she leaves you and grabs some cards off the nearby desk.

She starts setting them up for the next game. Doesn't matter what game she has though, you're winning that candy!

 **And here's the second chapter… obviously… anyway, its been fun writing these small chapters as compared to the far larger ones that I normally do. Though I do miss it, but alas, this is just a side story. One could even call these first two chapters the calm before the storm. Obviously more is going to happen, but that's for you to see when I decide to release the rest of the chapters, which, as I said last time, are already done and waiting. I'm looking at one right now, in fact.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3: Spirited Away

**Chapter 3: Spirited Away**

You did not win any candy. None. Zilch. Everyone else won at least one piece, but you couldn't win even one of the games Ruby planned. Nobody could really believe it either, but there was humour in seeing you whine and cry when you lost every game. Ruby, despite being a caring girlfriend, refused to even give you a nibble of anything she won. She smiles at you as she gobbled up the candy, then would tell you to "Just win a game and you'll get some." That advice was pointless since you NEVER WON ALL NIGHT!

But still, it was more than fun. Everyone was laughing, having fun, and taking a break after everything that has happened inside school and out. Beacon hasn't been the easiest time, but it's definitely been the most fun of all places you've been. Though that could be attributed to the people rather than the place. Shade Academy had some friends as well, along with those… interesting people at Atlas. But no doubt Beacon has been the most fun, if the most hectic.

Alas, your victory never came. As the games went on so did the time, and you were left with no candy as everyone else nibbled on theirs for the night. Though as they all rubbed it in your face that you had no candy people starting heading back to their dorms. It started with Nora and Ren, then Blake, then Weiss, then Pyrrha and Jaune, then Yang. All that's left in your dorm is yourself, Ruby and Dylan. The only real difference is that Dylan and Ruby are no longer in their costumes. You get why they both did it – Dylan because he hated your hard work, and Ruby because she's most comfortable in her hood.

You and Ruby sit beside each other on your bed while Dylan attempts to sleep. You're looking through the book of games and rules that Ruby found in the library, laughing at some of the things you guys didn't get around to doing and planning how to subject Weiss into these activities. However this whole time, despite laughing and having fun, you can tell Ruby has something on her mind that she doesn't want to say.

"Hey, Little Red… what's up?" You whisper, letting Dylan sleep.

"What? Nothing, I was just laughing at this one," she responds, pointing to another game.

"No, I mean something's bugging you, I can tell. What is it?"

Ruby's façade drops instantly as she huffs.

"Well… I didn't want to bring it up, but… there was one part that was more than just games, but I didn't want to bring it up to the group." You raise your brow, gesturing her to go on. "I mean, there's one part where we visit the ones we've lost, and I thought maybe… we could visit your parents? You haven't taken me there and I kinda want to go, but if you don't want to its fine this whole thing was more for fun anyway," she tries to play off.

You chuckle, though in a more thoughtful way than your usual chuckles.

"You're right… I haven't brought you there… I never really thought about it… huh" You rub your chin before eying Ruby. "I mean… I already went through all the trouble of dressing up and playing your games… I suppose we can go, but not for long. It is late."

"It doesn't have to be long! We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone!"

You hop off the bed, readjusting to the costume.

"Alright," you submit. "Grab what you need."

Ruby swipes her book of games and another book she has, then leaps beside you, happy as ever.

"Ready!"

She intertwines her hand with yours as you lock-on to your home. It takes about thirty seconds of silence and concentration before Ruby feels herself _**leap**_ to another locations, giving her a weird feeling in her stomach. But, it worked. You and Ruby stand before your village, the broken moon of Remnant being the only light allowing you to see. You both look around, making sure there are no stray Grimm. Thankfully its clear, and you both move on.

"So, you want to visit my parents' grave?"

Ruby nods.

"Alright, follow me."

You lead Ruby up to the hill where your parents are, which is a short distance away. Ruby stays right by your side as you bring her to the hill. She spots the two gravestones right away, as they're the only notable things on the hill. You bring her to the memorial stones and stop in front of them, respecting your deceased mother and father. Ruby stays silent beside you whilst keeping her hand locked with yours for support. It's still hard for her when she visits her mother's grave, so she knows how you must be feeling when standing here with one more dead parent than Ruby.

"Does it feel weird to be here?" Ruby speaks.

You shake your head.

"No… I mean, kind of, but…" You hold her hand tighter, but still caringly. "It's easier with you here," you say, not looking at her.

Ruby blushes at your comment, but she still smiles. Your little compliments spread out through the day always bring her so much joy, and make her feel special in a way that she's never felt before.

In the spirit of the small holiday Ruby took from the book, she comes up with a little joke plan. She grabs her second book… the book you gave her. She's no longer dressed as a witch, but she can still have fun with the novelty book you got her. She opens up a random page and slips away from you, standing closer to the gravestones. You look at her, confused at what she's doing. She's smiling, confident, and has a plan.

"Don't worry, my friend! I, the witch Ruby, will fix your problems!"

"Little Red, what are you…"

Ruby looks down at a page and starts reading out what it says, which doesn't make sense to you or her.

"Calash no cipo ie bae hala!" She recites in an overdramatic voice, waving her hand around the gravestones.

But nothing happens, as expected.

"Little Red… what're you doing?" You chuckle, repeating yourself.

Ruby giggles, shrugging.

"Just having fun with these fake spells you got me," she happily admits, hoping she got your spirits up.

You shake your head, walking to her side, turning around, and leading her away from the stones.

"Well, it put a smile on my face, so I'd say that's a spell you've mastered."

Ruby's glowing at your words. She's glad her little skit worked to her advantage. But something catches her eyes as she looks to you. Something is glowing behind her, the source seeming to come from the village. It's getting closer and closer at a breakneck speed.

Ruby slips out of your hands and pushes you to the side.

"Lookout!"

You're knocked on your side, lying on the floor utterly confused. You look up at Ruby, ready to question her, but all fun is thrown out the window when some glowing ball passes through her, dragging her a foot into the air before dropping her face first on the ground.

"RUBY!"

You scramble off your feet and to her side. She's pale, more so than she usually is, and her breathing is extremely light. On top of that… you don't feel her aura. It's like it's gone, drained. You hold her in your arms, shaking her so her eyes will open.

"Ruby! Ruby open your eyes, come on!" You shout.

As much as you want to be helping your girlfriend, a strong glow catches your attention. You look towards it, the same direction the ball dragged Ruby.

The ball is shifting, growing, morphing into something else. It grows a body, then legs, arms, a head. Somehow clothing starts to mold around the body that… looks exactly like Ruby's outfit, hood and everything. As colour finally comes to the figure, you realize the only visual difference between Ruby and this thing is what's normally red on Ruby is now an orange. Even the overall stature of this new presence resembles Ruby; from height to body type. The figure descends to the ground, their boots softly landing on the grass. It looks up at you, glowing eyes breaking through the darkness that the hood casts over their face.

"Who are you? What did you do to Ruby?" You angrily shout.

The figure tilts their head as they look at you, almost like they're observing you… studying you.

"S… S… S…" A broken English echoes out of the figure, though a word is never said.

You raise your hand over your shoulder, grabbing your sword and unsheathing it.

"Who are you?" You scream.

The figure extends their hand to the side, palm open. Suddenly bones fly out from the ground all over the village, likely from the villagers who were killed when you were a child. The start to form together, twisting unnaturally as they create something that you recognize. The bones finally stop, and the figure grabs hold of the middle.

She twirls around a scythe, highly resembling Ruby's, completely made of bones from the fallen. It's not clumsy, either. This demented woman is using that scythe with expertise that far surpasses your own. Similar to how this woman's overall look resembles Ruby's, the style that she's using with this new weapon mimics Ruby's style completely. Through these two points, you concur that whatever passed through Ruby had to have copied what makes Ruby Ruby. Perhaps that's why Ruby's aura is completely drained.

"What are you? Answer me already!" You shout, your anger over the edge because of Ruby's state.

The woman tilts her head to the side once more, then leaps into the air. She holds the scythe behind her as she looks down at you, the moon right behind her. Instantly she drops down, slicing at you. She's so fast that without your Shadow Transmission, you might not have been able to dodge it.

You appear behind her and dash forward, slicing her stomach. But the woman moves out of the way in a blink of an eye, leaving dead rose pedals in her wake. You grind to a halt when you realize she's not there and stop right in front of Ruby. You look around, trying to get a lock on your enemy, but you can't see her. As much as she's a problem, Ruby is top priority. You have to get her to safety, and that's to Beacon. You sheathe your blade and grab hold of her. You focus, attempting to lock-on to Beacon. As your mind travels there, your core senses feel something coming at you. You open your eyes and see the woman running at you, flailing her body from side to side as she spins the scythe around her body. You _**step**_ to the village, away from the woman.

"I can't _**leap**_ to Beacon with her on my butt. I have to distract her, or at least get her away from Ruby."

You rest Ruby against a nearby house, putting her in a sitting position. You kiss her forehead.

"I'll be back, Little Red. Just hang on."

You stand up and walk away from Ruby, assuring the attention is off of her. You step away from the village and look for the copycat, who is standing on top of one of the gravestones, letting her scythe drop as she laughs in a demonic voice. You grind your teeth at her arrogance. First she hurts Ruby, and now she casually stands atop the memorial of one of your parents, disrespecting them. You unsheathe your weapon, ready for a fight. Whoever, or whatever, this thing is… she's going down.

You keep your sword in your grip as you step away from Ruby – your eyes keen on keeping track of the woman. She throws her upper body back in an unnatural way, still laughing, then, as she throws her upper body forward, she disappears in a wave of dead rose pedals. You keep your eyes peeled and your grip strong. The moment she comes upon you you'll be ready. You dig your feet into the dirt, relax your breathing, and focus.

All it takes is the smallest, most insignificant sound of a pedal hitting the ground to alert you to her location. You spin around and brace yourself for a full force attack. She slices at you, but your sword holds strong against the pressure and momentum she's giving off. It's amazing how much force is behind her one swing. As you hold her off you see the end of her scythe start to morph into some sort sharp bone. Your eyes widen when you realize what that is. You let your legs slide under the woman, just missing the deadly bone firing where your face once was.

You flow under woman and slide to your feet behind her, then turn to cut her down. But she's no longer there. You look around frantically.

"What? Where did she go?" You question, scanning the area. "How does she move so fast?"

You look down at where she was and see dead rose pedals.

"Just like Ruby's semblance… but… she's faster."

You keep searching for her for a few seconds, but she's no longer in sight. Did she leave? Is she planning something? You have no idea, but that doesn't matter. If she's left you alone then you can get Ruby out of here. You sheathe your blade and jog around the building to find Ruby… and the woman. She's standing over Ruby, staring down at her in some sort of demented fashion. You _**step**_ to her, off the ground, swing your body around and drive your foot into her head, sending her away from Ruby. You _**step**_ behind her, still off the ground, clamp your hands together and smash her into the ground. Knowing she's after Ruby, you decide to get her as far away from Ruby as you can. You quickly grab her face, your fingers touching the cold, hidden skin under the hood, and _**leap**_ away from the village to where you fought Aza.

You appear in the middle of the field, lift the woman into the air, then drive your fist into her stomach, then repeat that with your other fist, and then punch her across the field. She tumbles, spins, and finally recovers, sliding across the ground as she looks at you like a maniac, like she's enjoying this. She swings her scythe around her before running, dragging the point of the scythe across the ground. You grab the handle of your sword and wait for her to get closer. Once she gets where she wants she spins the scythe around her, and slices, but this time you're no longer there. You stand behind her, holding your sheathe. You turn around, releasing your blade as you attempt to cut her in half.

As you predicted, she moves out of the way with her semblance… but something is different. You know you hit her a tiny bit, you could feel it. What does that mean? You couldn't touch her before, yet now you can hit her? Is she already weakened by the few hits you got on her? It's possible, but you're unsure.

No time to dawdle on it though, as you see her coming at you from your peripheral vision. She swings the blade around and then cuts at you horizontally. You lean all the way back, completely safe but admittedly vulnerable. She knows this as well as you, thus she uses the momentum to bring it around her body and come down on you, the edge aiming for your heart. You throw your legs to the side and manage to maneuver out of the way. Her scythe starts shifting again to form at least eight small points on the side, facing you. You see what those are, and, having no other choice, lean back once more to dodge the bones attempting to impale you. You rest your free hand against the ground so you don't fall over, but even then its not easy. This costume wasn't mean to be fought in. It's not flexible enough, it's not light enough. You know for a fact that its holding you back, but there's nothing you can do about that now, especially since she's not done.

The small bones that attempted to become one with you grow small points through them, similar to the original scythe.

 _I can't dodge this one!_

The bones shoot down, impaling a cloud of shadow where you once were. The woman looks for you, but you make your presence known before she can find you. You come down from above, driving your heel into the back of her head and land on her scythe. You let your foot slide down her hood, then, quickly, slide your foot under her forehead and backflip, kicking her once more. As you complete the full flip you spin around and kick her. But she grabs your leg mid kick and throw you away. You easily land, though it takes a few steps to regain full composure.

Her scythe retracts, taking in all the bones used to attack you. She spins it around constantly in a flow that you can… follow. It's not as fast as she was swinging it earlier. That doesn't mean you can relax, however, but it gives you a clue into this beings fighting style. She keeps swinging around and around and around until her plan comes to fruition. Small spike-like bones spawn from the scythe as she swings it, and all of them go to you. You prepare to retaliate but you notice something behind the incoming barrage. She's using her semblance, indicates by the dead pedals flowing behind her, but you aren't losing sight of her like you were before.

Still, she's moving very fast to you, and so are those projectiles. She's planning to flank you, so you have to play this smart. You could just use Shadow Transmission to get out of there, but you have a different plan in mind. You start making small leaps away from the projectiles to give more time for the woman to attack you. As you expected, she passes the projectiles and meets up with you. Her scythe morphs, much like Ruby's, so the blade can easily hit you. You hop over the first attack, flip over her to evade another, move your stomach back so that your costume is only grazed by the blade, block an attack coming down on you, push it back and slide behind her. Now she's between you and the projectiles. In a flash you sheathe your sword and grab her, locking your arms around hers and holding against her own attack. Some of them miss, but over a dozen pierce through her. You smile at the success of your plan… until you start to feel warm. You look down, seeing the bones going through her and into your "armour."

You push off her, removing the bones from your suit and getting some distance. The woman stands still as she realizes she's been stabbed. She could cry, scream, fall and die… but instead she laughs. She turns towards you, grabbing the bones one by one and pulling them out. You grind your teeth at the sight. It's almost like…

Suddenly she rushes you, dead rose pedals flying behind her. This one act proves your theory. Though using a semblance, she's barely running faster than a normal person at full speed. She seems to recognize this as well, as she halts her attack and looks down at herself. She starts to feel something different… a hunger… a pain. She slowly looks up, glowing eyes watching the sky, before raising her hand. You prepare for whatever she may do, while also hoping to stall as your aura does its job. Thankfully you weren't hurt too bad, but her attack seemed to do something to your aura. Not cut through it, but weaken it, poison it.

However something new happens, something you've never seen before. Some sort of essence wiggles through the air behind you into her palm. It… feels like aura… Ruby's aura. It flows into the woman's hand, lighting her up with a white shade. In an instant she's in front of you, dead pedals behind her. You try to react, but she's too fast. She disappears, and once you can see her again you have no time to react to her scythe cutting into your chest, shredding through the costume. You fall on your back, winded, hurt, and defeated. It was a clean, fast, and unexpected blow. You never predicted it, and you didn't have enough time to register the attack, let alone _**step**_ away.

Thus you lay on the floor, unconscious. The woman shuffles over you, looking at your face with her glowing white eyes. She should finish you now, but she doesn't. She can't. Instead she has somewhere to be. She uses her semblance and runs towards your village. Towards Ruby.

 **So, now things are starting to kick off in a big way. This story won't be more than five chapters, so we're about halfway there now. There was a lot of things I thought of for this story, but not everything came through. For instance I wanted to have this take place after the Battle of Beacon and have Pyrrha come back as an enemy. But it didn't work out like that. Props to Akkura on fanfiction that Pyrrha is dressed as a ghost because she's dead. You were very correct, Akkura.**

 **This chapter was actually longer than I thought it'd be, but that may be because I got carried away with the fight. It happens, but I still like it. Anyway this is the halfway mark. It might be ending real quick, but I said it was a short story that wouldn't be all that long, though I hope it's still enjoyable.**

 **Also, even though this is a Halloween Special, due to circumstances that matter little, the rest of the chapter will not be posted in October. They will be posted, but not in October. It just didn't work out how I planned, which happens. You'll still get it when I have a chance to upload the rest, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	4. Chapter 4: One Step Too Far

**Chapter 4: One Step Too Far**

There's dread in the air, a feeling that has never existed until this night. All the creatures, be them bugs, animals, or even Grimm, stay silent as the time passes for fear of what will happen if they make a noise. Only one being doesn't fear those consequences, and that's due to them being asleep. However your senses are starting to come back to you, starting with the twitching of your fingers. Feeling flows through the rest of your arm, and then the rest of your body. You slap your forehead, attempting to wake yourself up.

"Gah… I… blegh…"

You roll over onto your stomach and push yourself onto your knees. You lazily look around, trying to find your sword. It's not even a foot from where your hand was, so you swipe it up and sheathe it on your back. You get on your feet, rubbing your head and looking around. Soon enough you realize the giant cut through your armour, blood sullying the white where the destroyed armour is. You drag your hand across your chest, your fingers falling into the crevasse to touch your skin, then back to the armour. This motion reminds you of what happened and how you got this injury. Another thought quickly pushes itsway to the front of your mind.

"Ruby!" You shout to yourself.

You close your eyes and lock-on to your village, then _**leap**_ to it. You're at your parents gravestones, but you don't mind them since you immediately run to Ruby's previous location.

"Ruby! Ruby, are you awake!" You shout as you turn the corner.

Your heart drops the moment you don't see Ruby there. You frantically scan the area, hoping that she'll be in eye-sight… but she's not. She's gone.

"Ruby! Ruby!" You scream, internally begging that she'll respond.

But she doesn't.

You fall to your knees as your failure washes over you. You couldn't beat whoever that woman was, and you couldn't keep Ruby safe. Now you have no idea where either of them are, or even if Ruby is still alive. You can't bear the thought of Ruby being dead because of you… but something makes you doubt that. The way that woman almost seemed to summon Ruby's aura during your fight. She needs it, maybe. She wouldn't have Ruby's aura if Ruby was dead. That's the only hope you can cling to at the moment.

You look back to her previous location, latching to some desperate hope that she'll be there. She isn't, of course, but your second glance reveals something you didn't notice before: the book. The book you "borrowed" from Glynda is lying on the ground around where Ruby was. You slowly get to your feet and walk over to the book. It's open to a page that… well you didn't read it, but there's one phrase you recognize. It's the same phrase Ruby used when you were standing at your parents' stones. When she first did it, you thought she was just making it up. Now, it seems, she opened up some sort of scenario that's put her in danger, and you're going to have to fix it like always.

You grab the book, your only lead, and think on your next move. The only person who would know how to counter, or even explain, whatever Ruby did is Glynda. Though that means admitting you sto-borrowed her book. But that's a small price to pay if you can find Ruby again. With a goal in mind, you close your eyes and focus on Beacon. You traverse through the forests, passing blurbs which you can only assume to be Grimm, until you can finally lock onto Beacon. Once you do, you _**leap**_ to the airpad.

You let out a huff once you know you're home, but there's no point in waiting around. You open your eyes and start moving, but you give yourself pause when you see smoke, fire, and fellow students littering the ground, all unconscious. The first person you run to is Jaune, who's against a pillar. You sprint to him and slide into a kneel beside him. You place your hand on him and shake him to try and wake him up. Thankfully his eyes open and he starts moaning, his body waking up.

"(Y/N)?" He whispers.

"Jaune, what happened? Where is everyone?"

Before Jaune can answer you hear a large crash that shakes the very grounds of Beacon you look to that direction, but Jaune keeps his eyes on you.

"Something… came at us. Pyrrha… she…" Jaune cringes in pain, holding his side.

"Jaune, stay quiet. I'll deal with whatever's here. Get some rest," you reassure, patting his shoulder.

You leave Jaune and run to whatever made that noise.

 _Did the Grimm infiltrate Beacon? That's not possible! How did this happen?_

You keep running to the sound, seeing all your friends and classmates lying all over Beacon, absolutely defeated. You want to make sure each person is okay, but you'd rather beat whatever did this first then help. One question running through your mind is where the professors are? Perhaps they're fighting whatever did this to Beacon? You hope so, or hope they're just helping other students.

You slide around the corner and see some people, all familiar and not in the good way. That hooded woman is staring down Ozpin, Glynda, and the rest of team RWBY, though Weiss, Blake, and Yang are evidently tired.

"Guys!" You shout, gathering everyone's attention as you rush to their side.

"(Y/N)… hm…" Ozpin looks back to the woman as she stares down everyone. "We'll speak once this one is defeated."

You slide beside Ozpin, unsheathing your sword and staring down the woman.

"You… you won't win this time!" You shout, gripping your hilt tightly.

Ozpin notes your words. You've fought this mysterious woman before. Where? When? Why? These things flow through Ozpin's mind.

To everyone's surprise, the woman darts away in a flash of dead rose pedals.

"Hey, get back here!"

You begin to run but Ozpin grabs your shoulder, keeping you at bay.

"She's gone, (Y/N). We'll deal with her another time."

You huff, relaxing at Ozpin's words. You nod as you sheathe your blade and turn towards everyone. Yang lifts herself off her knee, huffing.

"Where… were you? And where's Ruby?" She asks, approaching you.

Your eyes widen then fall to the floor.

"She's… I…"

"That's a question for later," Ozpin cuts in. "Right now we have to regroup, assure the students aren't hurt, and figure out who and what that was."

Everyone accepts Ozpin's words and gets to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After gathering injured students and regaining control of Beacon, Ozpin requested everyone to get some sleep before the investigation begins. You wanted to get some sleep, wanted to relax and push this all out of your mind but you couldn't. The thought of who that woman is, where Ruby is, and what Glynda's book did all swirl in your mind, preventing any sleep to take place. Dylan notices this, as he can't fall asleep either for the simple fact that you're pacing around the room. You haven't even changed out of your bloodied, damaged outfit, so your footsteps are heavier than normal.

Dylan rolls onto his back and looks at you.

"Can you at least just lean against a wall instead of pacing?"

You stop and look to your friend.

"Sorry… I just… my mind's on fire, you know? I can't stop thinking."

Dylan huffs as he throws the blankets off himself and gets on his feet.

"I know thinking is difficult for you, bu-"

"Your joke aren't appreciated right now," you snap, beginning to pace again.

This alone strikes Dylan as urgent. You never talk to him like that. You enjoy bickering. Dylan decides to take a serious approach to this.

"Alright Slater, what's wrong? You weren't even here during the attack, so what has you worried?"

Your steps becoming heavier.

"I was lying in a field, bleeding," you bluntly answer. "I fought that woman before, which is why I was in the field. She has Ruby, Dylan," you say, stopping and staring at him, your lip quivering for just a moment, but long enough for Dylan to notice the strain on you. "And I have no idea where Ruby is, where this woman is, or even if Ruby's alive."

Dylan shakes his head, finally understanding the weight to the situation.

"I see. I'm sorry, Slater. It seems this is more personal for you."

"Yeah," you chuckle, though not in a happy way. "But I don't know what to… damn it," you slam your foot on the ground. "I can't take this waiting."

You swipe the book off your desk, which is where you left it once you returned to your room, and _**leap**_ to Ozpin's office. Ozpin and Glynda are speaking, Ozpin sitting in his chair and Glynda standing at his side. The moment you appear they look to you. You approach the desk and slam the book down, opening the page that Ruby used.

"Glynda, I'm sorry, I took this book from you and I'll accept punishment later, but you have to tell me what this page does."

Glynda, who is full of conflicted emotions, can tell you're deadly serious about whatever it is you're getting at. She leans over the table and spin the book so she can read it.

"Why this page?" She calmly asks.

"I…" You rub the back of your neck. "Ruby said something that was written on that page which caused all this."

Ozpin smirks, knowing you had an idea of what happened.

"What do you mean?" He asks with intrigue. "Please, take a seat. Explain it all, from the beginning."

So you do. You tell them about Ruby's silly idea of dressing up, to you and her returning to your village, to what happened at the gravestones, to you being defeated and Ruby being taken. The entire time Ozpin and Glynda remain silent, no change in their emotions, and just listen to you. Your voice is filled with anger, regret, and self-hatred. But they don't interrupt you. They just let you tell your story.

"And then I saw her here, but she's gone and we have no leads. Now Ruby's gone because of me!" You slam your fists on Ozpin's desk, letting out a small hint of frustration.

"Thank you for telling us this, (Y/N). This explains everything," Ozpin speaks, his voice calm and comforting. "I'm glad you're okay. I was curious about that damage to your costume," he mentions, looking at the deep wound.

You shake your head.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. It won't happen next time I meet her."

"Well… that depends," Glynda says, finally speaking up. She puts the book down and walks around the desk, standing beside you. "(Y/N), what Ms. Rose used was a sort of… how do I explain this, she… woke a dead spirit and bonded it with herself. Unintentionally, no doubt, but it worked."

"But… Ruby pushed me out of the way. Was it not going for me?"

Glynda shakes her head.

"It was going for Ms. Rose the entire time. Seems she was just being protective."

"So… what does that mean? What happened to her?" You question, unintentionally getting loud.

"Well, this spirit linked with her, taking a similar form and bonding through her aura," Glynda begins.

You think back to when the woman seemed to siphon Ruby's aura from far away.

"Does… does it matter how close this thing is to her?" You ask.

Glynda raises her brow.

"Why?"

"When we were fighting, she started to get weaker and slower the longer we fought. She seemed to summon some of Ruby's aura, and she got all that strength and speed back."

Glynda feels a sense of pride that you figured that out. Then again, you're no fool when it comes to tactics and battle.

"Yes. They are linked now, and it seems you already found the weakness of the spell. But now, knowing that she used the spell there, we can track both Ms. Rose and the spirit down."

These words spark a light in you. One of hope.

"We can find her! How? Where is she?"

Glynda moves back to her position beside Ozpin, hand on her chin.

"To keep her maximum power, she would need Ms. Rose as close as possible, along with being close to her body. If Ms. Rose used this spell at your village, that means the spirit would have to be-"

"Glynda," Ozpin interrupts.

"Yes, Professor Ozpin."

"He's gone."

Glynda looks to where you were only to see feint shadows slipping through the air. Glynda grinds her teeth at your rash actions.

"He's going there alone! He didn't even hear how to defeat it, or who that spirit even is!"

"You think it's…"

"It has to be, given the location and colour. Professor, we have to get there."

Ozpin clicks his scroll.

"I've already arranged transportation."

 **Yes, I know, kinda short, but, I mean, all the chapters have been short, so… notice how many commas I have there? Meh, just having fun, like the fun with this story. Weird to think this will be the only Crimson Shadow I'll write until December, but it's what you guys voted for on Twitter, so its this rather than a chapter. Hey, if you don't like that, blame Twitter. I just followed along with what they asked.**

 **Anyhow, next chapter will be the last. I hope you all enjoyed this one and are excited to see how it all ends. Until next time!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5: Even The Strongest

**Chapter 5: Even The Strongest Huntsmen Cry**

You appear back in your village, a goal in mind but no real strategy to achieve it. The only thing you know is that the farther away this person is from Ruby, the weaker they get. Thing is, getting them far away is going to be a challenge. _**Leaping**_ a significant distance takes time, and to take her with you requires physical contact. Perhaps with more training you could rectify this problem, but you don't have time to train. You need to get Ruby back and stop this spirit.

You scan your surroundings to try and find either Ruby or the spirit. To your surprise, you spot them both instantly. Ruby is lying on the ground where the outlines of your mother and father are, and the woman is standing over her.

"Hey!" You shout, getting the woman's attention.

She turns to you, glowing eyes staring directly into yours. You smile, unsheathing your blade so the rising sun gleams off the black metal.

"You're tough, I'll give you that. But I'm not going to lose when Ruby's life is on the line!"

The woman tilts her head at you.

"Sl… Slater…" She whispers, but it's not loud enough for you to hear it. "J-Jet?"

You swipe your hand back and throw your sword towards her, sending it like a spear that, admittedly, you copied the form from Pyrrha. The woman leans to the side to dodge your sword, but you've planned for that. In fact, using your Shadow Transmission, you're already behind her, grabbing your sword and slicing her. Her stolen aura prevents any legitimate damage, but you still force her away and cut down her aura somewhat. Now that you're here, you're close to Ruby. You leap back, over Ruby, and land right beside her. You kneel down and shake her, hoping her eyes will open.

They don't, and you have no time to try anything more. A screech erupts from under the hood of the spirit as she forms her bone scythe and charges at you. You wrap your arm around Ruby's waist then jump out of the way, landing on a nearby building. You toss Ruby up a bit so you can slide your arm around her upper body and hoist her arm over your shoulders. Now in a more comfortable position, you leap off your current building, passing over your entire village, and landing near the gravestones.

You need to get Ruby away from the spirit, or vise-versa. But even if you separate them, this woman can siphon aura from far away. If she tries that again, however, you'll interrupt her. The woman rushes you in some sort of demonic twirl, similar to what Ruby does when she uses her semblance. You leave Ruby on the ground and spring into the air. She follows you up, then splits into three different forms. You try to follow each one, but they're moving at such a speed that makes it impossible to follow all of them. One charges right at you, which you try and attack, but that only leads to it exploding into decaying rose pedals.

"Damn!"

Another one locks on behind you and charges. The cloak opens, revealing the woman, and she cuts you down, sending your body flying towards the ground. You recover and land, shattering the ground below you as your feet meet the earth. You instantly lock your legs down and block the woman's attack, sending a shockwave to blow away all loose dirt and weak grass in your vicinity.

"So who are you?"

You _**leap**_ into a nearby building, taking the woman with you. You know all the buildings well, so you're using the layout to your advantage. You both appear in a very low ceilinged room, which gives her a disadvantage.

"You had to be someone who died here, right?"

You jump, forcing the woman to hit the ceiling and contort her body to fit. With that, you spin and elbow her with your free arm, then wrap your arm around her so her face is buried in your chelidon, twirl, and slam her against the ground with the added force of you landing on her. Quickly you get up, grab under her chin, spin around and throw her against the wall. She breaks through the wall, sending bits of cement outside and bending the beams that held the building up. She tumbles across the floor but manages to get back on her feet, slamming her scythe into the ground so she'll slow down faster and gain extra balance.

"So what's your grudge? Who were you?"

The woman assumes a sturdier stance and begins firing sharp bones at you. You normally like to handicap yourself, but considering her insane speed and that Ruby's life is on the line, you have no time to mess around. Instead of dodging, which would be difficult given the small room you're in, you simply _**step**_ behind her. You go in for an attack, but she disappears into dead rose pedals before you can do anything. The next thing you know a foot connects with the back of your head and drives your skull into the skeletal weapon. She rolls off you, grabs the handle of her weapon, and twirls herself around, delivering to hard kicks in the process.

You fall to the ground after the kicks, but you quickly push off the ground and throw yourself away from her to regain your bearings. She unplucks the scythe from the ground and rests it in both hands.

"I guess in the end, it doesn't matter," you huff. "No matter who you are, I have to cut you down to save Ruby. No if, ands, or buts."

You toss your sword into your other hand and line it up with your sword hand. Since you have armour, you put more force into cutting through to get to your skin. You're successful, and you toss the sword back into your proper hand. Blood flows onto the sword, taking it over and making it its own. You spin your wrist, twirling the blade around as you prepare to attack. The woman starts to sprint forward using the semblance. The moment you see her start to move you attempt to intercept. You have no time to think about it, since you remember she was able to be in front of you in a flash. The difference between you and her, however, is that you are an instantaneous movement, whilst she actually takes time, however small, to get somewhere.

Thus you _**step**_ forward, taking a gamble of where she might be. When you appear you feel a major, and almost painful, collision against your forehead. You close one eye but check what's in front of you, which is the woman. Lucky for you, you managed to stop her dead in her tracks. Whether her sudden stop is more painful than you being hit with so much momentum is unknown to you, but either way you both fly back. You _**step**_ back, assuming a perfectly ready stance. She's still skidding across the grass, which is an opportunity for you to end this. You sprint forward, blade in hand, ready to cut her down.

The woman topples over her head and lands on her feet. As she solidifies herself, her hood falls back, revealing herself. A pale face, paler than normal because of her death, but you can still see the freckles around her small nose. And her hair, flowing down her back, to the ribs, once it was released from the confines of the hood. But the colour… You stop dead in your tracks, sliding a few feet.

"No… it can't…"

But everything seems to click. She looked exactly like Ruby, outfit and all, except for one distinct difference. Instead of red, it was orange. More specifically… Clementine.

"M… Mom…"

Clementine looks up at you, her eyes not quite right. You assumed they'd be fill of hatred, but instead they show some sort of remorse to the situation. She looks exactly like the picture you took from your home. You'd say she's still beautiful if it wasn't for the fact she's technically dead. But still, that's your mother. Your fighting spirit instantly breaks down. You can't fight your mother, not like this. You can't even remember being with her when you were a child. This is the clearest memory of your mother that you have, and it's about fighting her.

You stop the blood flow to your blade, not wanting to lose any more blood needlessly. You even sheathe your sword.

"Mom… you… why are you doing this? Let Ruby go!"

Clementine spins the scythe around her and charges at you once more. You get ready, but have no intention of fighting anymore. You need to get through to her, somehow. You turn and start running as fast as you can. You can hear her breezing past the grass, getting closer and closer. You spin on your heel to see what Clementine is doing, but to your surprise she passes right by you, going towards the hill with the gravestones. You're confused as to why, until…

"Ruby…"

You _**leap**_ to the hill and witness Clementine standing over Ruby, looking down at her.

"Get away from her!" You shout. "Mom, please!"

Clementine turns her attention to you, tilting her head.

"Slat…er."

"Slater? Me? Mom, can you hear me? Mom!" You plead, hoping she's starting to come to her.

"(Y/N)… you…"

Clementine raises her scythe over Ruby, the tip pointing down at her. Your eyes widening, hoping that she isn't going to try and attack Ruby. If she does…

You shake your head, deciding to act before your mother can do anything. You _**step**_ beside Clementine and tackle her away from Ruby. Clementine drops her weapon beside Ruby as you both tumble down the nearby hill. You land on top of her and pin her shoulders to the ground.

"Please, stop this!"

Clementine bucks her hips to flip you off of her. You land on your hands and easily flip back to your feet. Clementine gets up, angry. She rushes you with her unparalleled speed and lands a good hit on your cheek. But… it doesn't really hurt. You grab her hand and flip her over you, though she lands fluently and attempts to attack again, this time without her speed. You duck under a punch, catch an elbow, push away a kick, guide a punch away and finally flip over her, then sweep her legs out from under her and stand, all in a fluent motion.

 _Her fighting style… her skill is exactly like Ruby, which means her hand-to-hand is severely lacking._

Clementine's cape twirls around her and shoots off the ground in an instant. You scan the area frantically to try and spot her, and you do. She's back with Ruby, grabbing her scythe. She spins it around and dashes at you, transforming again. She shoots right for you, then straight into the air, returns to her normal form, and brings her scythe down upon you. You clap your hands on the blade last second, barely stopping it from piercing you. You struggle to keep it steady, mostly due to all the weight Clementine is putting on her weapon. You grind your teeth and every muscle as you hold her back, but the blade is getting closer and closer. You need to end this, or at least incapacitate her somehow. You can't hold out forever.

You let go of the blade and swing your body out of the way as you move behind where Clementine will fall. You unsheathe Crimson Blaze, close your eyes so you don't have to see it, and cut through Clementine's back. She lets out a howl as her body falls to the ground. You open one eye just to see if it work, and it did. She lays on the ground, unmoving. This immediately strike you as odd, since last time you fought sh-Suddenly a blinding light erupts from Clementine's body, one that forces you to close and cover your eyes.

At the same time Ruby starts to shuffle, to move, to wake up. Her eyes flutter open as her body finally comes back to her. She places a hand on her head as she pushes her body of the dirt. She moans as she looks around, gaining her bearings. She doesn't remember much; she was with you… then something…

She starts to recognize the blinding light coming from somewhere close. She looks towards it and sees you standing in front of… someone. Ruby is about to call out, but the moment she recognizes the woman she pauses herself. Instead of calling to you, she starts to make her way closer, but not close enough to make her presence noted.

You try to open your eyes once the light dims. As you do, you feel a soft hand on your cheek.

"(Y/N)… my son," a warm voice states which floods your body with a comfort you haven't felt in over a decade. You look up to loving eyes, a beautiful smile… to your mother. "I'm so sorry, (Y/N). Something woke me, made me violent. I didn't want to hurt you, or that girl. Oh… look at what I did," she says, grazing her fingers along your chest wound. "You're not hurt, are you?"

You stand, awe-struck and what you're seeing. She looks into your eyes, awaiting a response. The longer you take, the funnier it becomes for her. She smiles.

"You never liked to stay quiet as a child. What happened?" She jokes, a lovely chuckle escaping her lips.

You can't hold it anymore. You drop your sword and wrap your hands around her, hugging her as tightly as you can. Tears fall from your eyes, trailing down the metal armour you don.

"Mom… I… I…" You try to speak, but you can't; you're flooded with a joy that leaves you speechless.

"Shh, it's okay (Y/N)," she whispers, stroking your hair as she hugs you back. "I'm here… I'm here."

"You… I didn't get help in time, and you died… I let you die, mom," you cry, pouring all of your heart and soul into your words, actions, and tears.

"No, you failed no one, (Y/N)," Clementine adamantly says, yet remains gentle with her tone. "Jet and I… we would have done anything for you. We knew, when we sent you away, that we wouldn't make it. We love you, (Y/N). And look at you now," she says, making space between you two so she can look at your face. "You're a handsome, capable Huntsman now – just like your father."

You wipe some of your tears away, letting a smile creep on your face.

"Y-Yeah… everyone says that."

Clementine smiles, patting your nose with one finger.

"I hope you didn't get his bad sense of humour, though," she jokingly scolds.

You rub the back of your head.

"I… think I got that too. I think I'm funny, though."

"So did he," Clementine adds. "But he did always make me smile, no matter how bad his jokes were."

You both chuckle at the thought of the Slater family humour. But you can't help the tears that begin to form again. You've never felt like this before. You're weak, timid, almost like you're a child again. All the confidence, bravado, all idiotic quips and puns, everything that you are has been reduced to a puddle that's washed away, leaving only a lonely little boy staring at his feet.

"You have a lovely girlfriend," Clementine speaks.

Your eyes widen and you look into your mother's eyes.

"I… know her thoughts when I took her aura. I know everything that's happened to you, that she knows. Everything you've done for her… and how much she cares for you."

You blush rubbing your head.

"I-I mean…"

"She's pretty. Fits a handsome boy like you."

"Mom!" You whine, which only makes Clementine laugh.

"Like no time has passed, hm?"

She looks down at her feet and sees them start to dissipate. She frowns at the sight, but she knew it was going to happen.

"(Y/N)… all the aura I've been taking from Ruby is gone. I don't have anything keeping me here anymore. I'm going to have to leave soon."

"What? No, please! Don't go yet!" You frantically shout.

Clementine places her hand on your cheek, which you cup with both hands.

"I'm not supposed to be here, (Y/N). This is your time, now. You're my son… and Jet's too. You're destined for greatness, I know it. But you always have to move forward and let nothing stop you. Both your father and I had that in common, you know? That means you have to have the same trait too."

Clementine's legs slowly dissipate, and it's not slowing down. She gives you a smile.

"I'm glad I got to see you as a grown man, (Y/N)."

"Mom, no…"

"Just be the best you can be. You have friends, people who care for you."

"But I want you with me, mom!"

"Just know… you're my sunshine, (Y/N)… and I'll always love you."

In an instant her entire body dissolves into nothingness. You reach out for her, but she's gone.

"Mom! MOM! No! Please!" You cry out, a flood of tears rolling down your face. You drop to your knees, sobbing. "Mom… I… I love you too…"

You hear someone rest beside you, and turn to see who it is. Ruby, your loving girlfriend, is awake and well. Before you can say anything she pulls you into a hug, allowing you to cry into her hood.

"It's okay, (Y/N). I know how you feel," she whispers. "Just let it out."

You don't argue. You don't try and say anything funny. You accept Ruby's kindness, and cry in her arms.

From a short distance away, Ozpin and Glynda have been watching much of what just happened, including some of the fight.

"You waited some time before reversing the spell," Ozpin comments.

"I wanted to let (Y/N) feel like he did it. You know how he is," Glynda answers. "And I thought letting Clementine have some time with him would be best."

"I think that was the best. Odd that she didn't tell him, however."

"Perhaps she wanted to keep their meeting happy. Telling him about it would only cause more worry."

Ozpin nods in agreement.

"There's no arguing with that. I suppose it's on us to tell him, one day. But not today. Let's give them a few minutes, hm? We'll return to the Bullhead and land it here. That should give them a few extra minutes."

Glynda nods in acknowledgement before following Ozpin back into the forest, allowing you and Ruby to sit together, embracing, and comforting.

 **And that's all, folks! If you can't tell, the part with Clementine is what I would REALLY want to include in Crimson Shadow, but since there's no sight of spirits or anything like that in the actual canon, I wouldn't do it in Crimson Shadow, since that story attempts to be as canon as possible. But here I can do whatever I want, and I can include the whole spirit thing.**

 **Anyway, this was the Halloween Special which, actually didn't premier how I wanted it. This was suppose to be out weeks ago, but due to reasons that are none of your guys' concern (no offense intended), I couldn't do it. But it's out now and I hope you all enjoyed it. There are a few more Crimson Shadow related one-shots and short stories I have in my vault, but that's for another time. I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in December when Crimson Shadow returns!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


End file.
